-Cadets TT players looking to emulate seniors

The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA) is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to have its cadet team equal or better the performance of the national senior team which ended in the runner-up position at the recent annual Caribbean Championships in French Guiana.

Some members of the national Cadet team at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall yesterday. The players are training for the upcoming fourth annual Cadet championships set for Barbados from August 16-22. (Orlando Charles photo) See story on page 25.

The GTTA recently named an 18-member squad to participate at the fourth Caribbean Cadet Table Tennis Championships scheduled for August 16-22 in Barbados.

The team has been training assiduously under coaches Colin France and Linden Johnson.

But even more importantly has been the commitment of three senior players Caribbean men’s singles bronze medallist, Idi Lewis, national player Matthew Khan and former national player Gary Pratt.

The three players have volunteered their services to the GTTA and have been quite visible at the training sessions helping to iron out technical flaws and being virtual “sparring” partners for the eager young players.

The Guyana delegation, which will be under the management of Deidre Edghill, is tipped to be among the medals but is expected to face stiff competition from powerhouse Puerto Rico and to a lesser extent Trinidad and Tobago whose star player  Aaron Wilson could pose a handful for the local boys in the 13 and under category.

However Guyana’s Chelsea Edghill is expected to rule the roost in the under-13 girls category.

Much too is expected from Priscilla Greaves whose coach  France told Stabroek Sport that he expected her to win the under-10 girls singles.

Greaves has made tremendous strides in her fledgling career and much is expected of her.

Other players expected to give a good account of themselves are Kyle Edghill, Jamaal Duff, Joseph Johnson, Sunil Logan, Elishaba Johnson, Olivia Weekes and Akeila Wiltshire, daughter of former national player Garfield Wiltshire.

The squad reads (Boys U-10): Johnson, Edghill, Rajiv Muneshwar, Amit Mookram and Dexter D’Anjou.

Girls under 10: Greaves, Tiara Narine, Jamaali Homer and Tiara Narine.

Boys U-13: Duff, Logan, Johnson and Stephan Corlette while the girls U-13 are Edghill, Wiltshire and Weekes.

A release from the GTTA stated that “…the players selected represent the nursery of our future champions and are some of our most disciplined, brightest and talented prospects. Their exposure to this engagement is critical to developing their talents and keeping Guyana competitive regionally in the long term.”

Other countries expected to participate in the competition are Aruba, Jamaica, St Lucia, Dominican Republic and French Guiana.